10 Holiday iOS Gift Ideas

The holidays are fast approaching and your gift giving anxiety is on the rise. You look along endless shelves of the same old crap for that dusty gem to give to the perfect person. Chances are that if you’re here at Arcade Sushi reading this, then you know a thing or two about iOS games. The leap in logic is therefore small to conclude that you surround yourself with like-minded individuals who love their iPhones and iPads almost as much as you do. Don’t worry your already frazzled holiday head, we’re here to set you straight on some awesome gifts for your iOS obsessed brethren. Below you’ll find a list of 10 gifts for the iOS Junkie. Some are stupid, some are silly, but all are iOS related.

Game Changer

Studio Sophisti

Board games don’t use electricity and therefore are boring. This board game though features iPad integrated fun for the whole family. With two games to choose from, you’ll be able to tap your way through hours of adventure, learning, and fun without all those boring rule books, static images, and pewter figures. This is the board game for the ADD children who grew up with flashing lights and moving pictures. Scoff at it you might, but you’re staring at the future of board games. Just wait until we get Monopoly and one of your friends gets fed up after 2 hours and flips your iPad.

Dzmitry Samal Glasses 5DPI

Samal Design

Let’s be real, you probably have your face buried in some sort of screen for hours at a time while you kill space aliens or solve the mysteries of haunted mansions. Contact lenses make your eyes dry out and you can’t have that when you’re about to take out the Death Star with an Angry Bird. These pixellated glasses may not relieve any eye strain or dryness, but damn will they make you look good even with bloodshot eyes. They’re enough to make any other gaming nerd of the opposite gender some pause before they decide whether to kiss you right then and there or simply beg for style tips. Note to hipsters: These are expensive and exclusive. They’re the perfect ego boost for when you find out someone else got the same tattered sweater from the thrift store you went to.

Sphero

ThinkGeek

You say that we can now control balls? We no longer need a catcher’s mitt and a throwing arm to exercise our dominion over physics? Our day has come! The world shall be ours! Look out tiny set of child’s bowling pins and random flocks of roving pigeons, we are now lord of the balls. Controlling any physical object with your iPhone is something exceedingly cool. This one in particular lets you translate some of your favorite ball based puzzle games into the real world. Your screen can now be as big as you can build it out of 2x4’s. You can use it to navigate mazes or even play a game of angry birds on the pavement using sidewalk chalk and some sticks. Alright, we didn’t say it would be better than just playing the games on your phone, but at least you’ll get outside for a bit.

iCade Controller

ThinkGeek

Occasionally your fingers get a bit too greasy to hold your iOS device properly. It might be too much fast food or the fact that you’re cooking up some cajun food. Whatever your reason, you’ll occasionally need a second set of controls so you don’t muck up the pretty touch screen. In addition to that, with the iCade Controller, you’ll be able to let the visuals shine through on your iPhone in the spaces that would normally be covered up by your meddling fingers. With over 150 compatible games, you’ll never be at a loss for choice when trying to figure out what to play. It’s the perfect gift for a sloppy iOS gamer, or one that simply likes to game while cooking.

Minecraft Creeper Wallet

Jinx

The world of Minecraft Pocket Edition would be a wonderful and peaceful place if it wasn’t for those damn monsters that come out at night. The most heinous of them are the Creepers. Those insidious jerks never leave you alone and are hell bent on making your mining life miserable. But even if they are a blight on your world, you still feel a slight affinity for their pixellated green faces. You know what else is green? Money. And the good people at Jinx have created a Creeper inspired wallet. If you get frustrated while playing Minecraft, you can fling a creeper’s face across the room or slip it into your back pocket. Sitting on it will definitely teach it a lesson. Regardless, if you play Minecraft Pocket Edition or not, this wallet is sure to turn heads when you bust it out on a first date. Hopefully you’ll learn that they like punching trees in their spare time too.

Joystick-It

ThinkGeek

A tactile joystick like the arcade cabinets of yesteryear provide you with a functional yet nostalgic way to play games on your iOS device. We know that having a physical piece of metal or plastic sticking up and out of your gorgeous touchscreen can ruin the beauty of that shiny piece of glass, but it does give you that extra bit of control when you’re playing Pac-Man so you can avoid those damn ghosts. This stick will be a joy when playing any of the dozens of re-released arcade fighting games. You just have to remember not to get too mad, otherwise you might put the stick right through your iPad.

DODO Cases

DODO

This is the classy gift for your iOS gamer out there. This precision built case evokes the style of classic book binding. You know, books? Those analog things you use to prop up your coffee table after you got an iPad? Well, now you can have your device look like one of those ancient roman codexes. It’ll lend a bit of refinement to your collection of reading apps. Even if reading isn’t your thing, you can turn the sound off and fool people into think you are reading while playing the latest iOS FPS. Your dusty old books could never do that!

Ultimate Hoodie

ThinkGeek

Gamers are constantly on the go. Between big box electronic stores and fast food joints, you always want to have your iPad, iPod, iPhone, and all your accessories with you at all times. Who knows when it might be your turn again in Letterpress or when you’ll feel the need to repel some zombies with the power of plants? You need to be prepared with the Ultimate Hoodie. It has all the pockets you need to keep your devices with you and organized at all times. Since the weight is distributed evenly over your body, you won’t even notice that you’re wearing over $1K worth of electronics, and no one else will either.

Ora Ultimate Soundsystem

Ora

The iPad is sorely lacking in the sound department. Two measly little speakers aren’t nearly enough to make it across the room, let alone draw you into the game you’re playing. Thankfully their tinny reign of terror has come to an end. These good people on Kickstarter have worked out a way to give your iPad sound one hell of a boost. With 8 speakers that run just as long as your iPad, you’ll be able to game anywhere and be loud enough to wake the people in the next hotel room. Sound is an often overlooked part of the experience and anyone interested in gaming, watching movies, or especially listening to music will thank you for this gift. Go back this project so it gets funded. We want one too!

Playmobile Apple Store

ThinkGeek

This is the ultimate gift for members of the cult of Apple. This is for your friend who walks through the local Apple store critiquing its design, layout, and “flow.” You can now provide them with a way to create their own Apple store, complete with a dozen tiny little fanboys to worship the designer of their plastic, snap-together Mecca. Then they’ll be able to stage their own conferences that end in “One more thing ...” They can lord over their subject while asking them to sign user agreements, input their password a dozen times, and make them froth at the mouth at the newer, slimmer iPad. Trust us, your friend will thank you for it.

What Are You Getting Your iOS Friends For the Holidays?

Let us know what sorts of goodies will be shoved into stockings and packages for your iOS obsessed pals!